Shadowrun vs Tiny Cyberpunk
Compare Shadowrun and Tiny Cyberpunk side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Shadowrun | Tiny Cyberpunk | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Cyberpunk, Fantasy | Cyberpunk, Scifi |
| Play Style | Crunchy, Tactical, Heist, Character Building, Faction Play, Lore-Heavy, Skill-Based, Mission-Based, Urban Fantasy | Rules-Light, One-Shot Friendly, Low-Prep, Fast-Paced, Theater of the Mind, Classless, Solo-Friendly, Random Tables |
| Core Mechanic | Roll a pool of d6s equal to attribute + skill, counting 5s and 6s as hits. Meet or exceed a threshold to succeed. Situational advantages generate Edge points rather than modifying dice pools directly; Edge is spent on tactical effects like rerolling dice, adding successes, or imposing penalties on opponents. | Roll 2d6 for a Test; any 5 or 6 succeeds. Advantage raises the pool to 3d6, while Disadvantage lowers it to 1d6 and normally takes precedence. |
| Dice | d6 dice pool | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | Very High | Medium |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Medium |
| License | No open license | All Rights Reserved |
| Cost | $$$ | $$ |
| Publisher | Catalyst Game Labs | Gallant Knight Games |
| Year | 2019 | 2024 |
| Best For | Groups who want cyberpunk-fantasy heists with deep mechanical subsystems for hacking, magic, and combat. | Groups seeking quick cyberpunk missions where street-level jobs provoke escalating corporate retaliation. The included oracles also support solo campaigns. |
| Highlights | The setting fuses megacorporate intrigue with magic and metahuman races, so a single team mixes street samurai, mages, and deckers. Distinct subsystems model Matrix hacking, spellcasting, drone rigging, and astral space, each carrying its own rules depth. The Edge economy converts situational advantages into a spendable resource for rerolls, extra hits, or penalties on opponents. | Hacking uses Firewall difficulty and failure-triggered Kickbacks, giving digital intrusion distinct risks while reusing the core Test. Heat turns mission fallout into escalating corporate actions after rests, carrying consequences between jobs. A complete solo loop pairs scene procedures with oracles, supporting one-player campaigns without a Director. |
| Considerations | Matrix hacking runs on its own timescale and can leave non-decker players idle during a run. Character creation spreads across attributes, skills, magic or resonance, gear, and lifestyle, making the first build long. Dice pools grow large at high skill, so counting hits on a fistful of d6s slows resolution. | Most Tests resolve as binary success or failure, leaving unlisted consequences to the Director. Long campaigns require more Director worldbuilding than one-off missions. The Corporate Edition includes portions of Neodinium that the publisher identified as generative-AI text; an announced Hacker Edition will replace that material. |